4.3. Move

The Move Tool is used to move layers, selections, paths or guides. It
works also on texts.

4.3.1. Activating the Tool

You can access the Move Tool in different ways:

From the image menu bar
Tools → Transform Tools → Move,

By clicking the tool icon:
.

By using the keyboard shortcut M.

The Move tool is automatically activated when you create a
guide.

Note

Holding down the space bar changes the active
tool to Move temporarily. The Move tool remains active as long as
the space bar is held down. The original tool is reactivated
after releasing the space bar. This behaviour exists only if the
Switch to Move tool option is
enabled in
Edit → Preferences → Image Windows → Space Bar.

4.3.2. Options

Figure 14.114. Move Tool options

Normally, tool options are displayed in a window attached under the
Toolbox as soon as you activate a tool. If they are not, you can access
them from the image menu bar through
Windows → Dockable Windows → Tool Options which opens the option window of the selected tool.

On an image with several layers, the mouse pointer turns to
a crosshair when it goes over an element belonging to the
current layer. Then you can click-and-drag it. If the mouse
pointer has a small hand shape (showing that you do
not pick an element of the active
layer), you will move a non-active layer instead (it becomes
the active layer while moving).

If a guide exists on your image, it will turn to red when
the mouse pointer goes over. Then it is activated and you
can move it.

Move the active layer

Only the current layer will be moved. This may be useful if
you want to move a layer with transparent areas, where you
can easily pick the wrong layer.

That's the default option. The mouse pointer turns to a
small hand when it goes over a
visible path.
Then you can move this path by click-and-dragging it (it
will be the active path while moving).

Move the active path

Only the current path will be moved. You can change the
current path in the
Path Dialog.

4.3.3. Summary of Move tool actions

Moving a selection

The Move tool allows to move the selection outline only. If the
Move Mode is “Layer”, you must hold down
Ctrl+Alt keys.

If the Move Mode is Selection, you can click-and-drag any point in
canvas to move the selection outline. You can also use the arrow
keys to move selections precisely. Then, holding down the
Shift key moves then by increments of 25 pixels.

When you move a selection with the Move tool, the center of the
selection is marked with a small cross. This cross and selection
boundaries snap to guides or grid if the
View → Snap to Guides (or Grid)
option is checked: this makes aligning selections easier.

The Move Mode must be “Layer”. Then you can choose
between Move the Active Layer and, if you
have one or more layers, Point to Layer (or
Guide).

Moving Grouped Layers

If layers are grouped (with the little chain symbol) they will all
move, regardless of which layer is currently active.

Moving a guide

When you pull a guide from a ruler, the Move tool is automatically
activated. That's not the case after using another tool, and you
have to activate it by yourself. When the mouse pointer goes over a
guide, this guide turns to red and you can click-and-drag to move
it.

Moving a path

The Path Tool dialog has its own moving function: see
Section 6.2, “Paths”. But you can also use the Move
Tool. The Move Mode must be set to “Path”. Note that
the path becomes invisible; make it visible in the Path Dialog.
You can choose the path to be moved or move the active path.